March 20, 2013

Happy

Not often is it that he'll pose for a picture. Much less a picture a friend of his is being coerced into taking for the blog us. Heck, I'm just now at the point where I'll say, "Can we do a picture?" and Scott will take one of me on the deck. More often than not, it's just me and the self-timer.

Anyway, we were happy because we'd both just had a week off of work.

Happy because we had two more days off to look forward to.

Happy because we didn't feel like we were being crushed by his job...by my job (not that my job is very crushing..but it does tend to put me in a "mood").

When you stay away from work for long enough, you forget the problems that go along with it.

Obviously that agreed with us.

This is further proof that the military life is a hard one. The army has taken a toll on him in the same way Alaska has taken a toll on me. Eventually, I'll elaborate on why his job is as difficult as it is, but it boils down to working with low-caliber people. People with no morals. People who don't work toward bettering themselves, but instead work toward tearing others down.

We're not the same people we were 4 years ago, wide-eyed and newly-engaged. But I like that. We have experience! We understand what it's like to fight (and yeah, we do). What it's like to be separated. What it's like to take care of one another when the one of us is essentially blind and just sits under a blanket all day. The time we've spent living in Alaska has been invaluable to our relationship.

But this life, though it pays the bills and the student loans are gone, is not easy on us and our relationship. That was completely evident to me when y'all said how happy we looked in that picture. Of course we were happy! We'd just had a week off of work! I don't know how long we'll stay in the military. I don't know where we'll live next. As cheesy as it sounds, what we have learned in the last 2 weeks is that it REALLY doesn't matter. The military has made us appreciate the fact that being together is actually what matters.

Oh, my arctic tan does not make me happy. The light was *just so* (I barely edited this) to make me invisible in this picture. Nice, right? However, it's not enough to drive me to the tanning beds again. Predicaments, predicaments...

20 comments:

Some time off of work is truly a happy thing--everyone needs time to recharge once in a while. Neither Angel nor I really understand those people who passionately love their jobs. It must be a rare thing.And you do blend into the background!! Too funny! I'm constantly pale, too. And I don't like to be in the sun with sunscreen at all, either, so I pretty much stay the same shade of paleness all year long. For me, I think my dark hair helps me not look too terribly pastel. :P

We are a different couple when J has a lot of time off. I can definitely relate to that. Life is better when jobs aren't stressing you out. Our country is doing it wrong. We should take notes from all the others who have many more days off for "holidays".I love your ensemble! Once when I was visiting TN from AK I heard this guy whisper to one of his buddies, "Look at Kacy. I've never seen her this white." I was like DUDE! I CAN HEAR YOU!Grr.

i liked this post! i agree - after a few years and hard things you don't have that newlywed happiness but I wouldn't trade it!! the things you go through definitely make your marriage stronger and make you appreciate important things!

The Army definitely makes us stronger and more appreciative of our relationship. I think it is even interesting to see how it affects Cullen even at a young age. He thinks moving and friends moving is totally normal. He came home from school the other day and said "John's moving to Colorado, so we got a new boy today and I told him hi and I hope he likes California." It didn't even occur to him that the kid might actually be from here haha

I love this. It's amazing what a little time off together can do for the both of you. I like what you said about not being the same person you were a few years ago. We've changed and its for the better! Hopefully no matter what life throws at us we'll go through it together. This life makes us appreciate our time together so much more.

It took Brandon leaving the Infantry and Hawaii to finally become happy. He was miserable in that job because people were bringing him down, bringing others down, and it was basically a big clique against him. Sometimes the Army is like high school...

You really did look supremely happy in that photo the other day! You and Scott are a team - and though yes, the individual parts of the team work on their own, it's better together! (can I get a rousing chorus of DUH?) But truly, ya'll have something good there and come what may, the adventure is going to be a good one.

And arctic tan or not - a term I can't wait to incorporate into my sunless life here in Portland - that picture and outfit are adorable! Love the scarf ;)

Amen to the Army part. We are still discussing daily whether it's worth it to continue on with it. Meeting that commitment raises all sorts of new questions. I'm rocking an arctic tan in TN too, so there's that. Most cool people are pale. Proven fact.

It is amazing what some time away from work can do. Since I understand your job, I do agree, we're not in a crushing profession. But so much about teaching can weigh you down, and, as you said, put you in a "mood".

I think people also need to remember that just because you may argue doesn't mean that you're unhappy with the overall picture of your life. Sometimes, we have to work for the things we love, and vacations can be good for that! :)

We feel the same way. Daniel's job takes such an emotional toll and what it really boils down to is the people he works with are just low caliber people. It's painful to watch him being miserable. I'm hopeful that it will be different when we move, but I really doubt it. Sigh.